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Book Review: Fermented by Jill Ciciarelli

It’s been a long time since we’ve done a book review and this one is well overdue!

Like any of our reviews, we only share books that we really love. Jill Ciciarelli sent us a copy of her book in the late summer and though I knew I loved it, there was just so much going on. Things have finally slowed down in the last few weeks and I’ve had the pleasure of diving into its pages.

Before recommending this book, I should warn you of a potential conflict: Jill included WellPreserved as a resource in her book. We didn’t know her at the time she wrote it and we found out after the fact. I still warned her of our ‘policy’ of only sharing things we love and she sent us a copy of her book. I believe I can recommend her book without bias: I simply love it.

It’s super pretty. It’s filled with bright images and it’s larger than most cookbooks on my shelf. It’s an easy book to flip through and I’ve spent a lot of time doing so.

It’s super accessible. The writing and recipes are friendly, fun and inviting. Jill is very much a part of the story of the book and she shares personal experiences as much as she shares her knowledge and passion.

It covers a lot – but not at tedium. Jill covers everything from fermenting alcohol to vegetables, fruit and even meat. Each section shares essential information and recipes but won’t bury the reader in non-essential blather (something I specialize in writing!)

It’s seasonal. People sometimes think of preserving as something that’s only done in the summer or fall. Like Jill, we preserve 12 months a year. Her book helps inspire you during the leaner months of seasonal eating.

Jill is a Holistic Health Coach and certified by the American Association for Drugless Practitioners. The book is written with a focus on healthy eating and she explains the benefits of fermenting in a way that is both non-intimidating and non-preachy.

There are a lot of recipes, including:

Sauerkraut

Yogurt

Vinegar

Kombucha

Hard Cider

corned Beef

Pickles

Fermented garlic

Fermented Curry Ketchup

…and many more.

Each part of the book introduces a group of recipes and provides background on the theory and practice of fermenting. There are lots of tips and notes from Jill to help you build your knowledge as well as motivate you to get fermenting! You can visit Jill’s site here or head over to Amazon to buy her book!